One Day in Chiang Rai

Hubby booked a ground arrangement one-day-trip to Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai is the northernmost large city in Thailand. It's about 2 hours drive from the Chiang Mai city. A van picked us up at our hotel as early as 7:00 am in the morning. There were another 3 mat-salleh couples in the van with us during this trip and alhamdulillah, I had an amazing time with them in Chiang Rai! ;)

Stopped by at a hotspring rest area on our way to Chiang Rai

We then visited the famous White Temple also known as Wat Rong Khun

This very unique contemporary temple was designed and built by Thai artist Chaloemchai Khositphiphat starting in 1998. Unfortunately, due to the damage from the earthquake on the 5th May 2014, visitors are currently not allowed to enter the Temple or access the majority of the site. So we only got to view the exterior of the temple.

I would say this is the most unique temple I've ever seen!

I was quite fascinated with the gothic elements found around the site...

Those hands are as if begging desperately to escape from hell  - a little disturbing eh?

Those silver things hanging is an imitation of pho leaves - it's like those padlocks that lovers attached in Paris, Hong Kong, ect. I don't get it anyway... huhu.

We later went to the famous Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle was once-upon-a-time one of Asia's two main opium-producing areas. It is an area of around 367,000 square miles  that overlaps the mountains of three countries of Southeast Asia - Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

I was pretty excited to visit 3 countries within an hour. To my disappointment,  we did not actually step our foot on the golden triangle but just 'tenguk jer' land tu... and then stopped at Donesao Island which is in Laos.

No need to stamp on the passport... pakai chop kat tiket ni jer to enter Laos.

Nothing much here.... it's like Bukit Kayu Hitam jer... jual souvy and  barang tiruan... huhu!

exotic food, anyone??

We were only there for about an hour jer... back in Chiang Rai later... 

and visited this place...

The northern most of Thailand... 

Again... did nothing much but just visited this place. 

Been there. Done that! ;)

The last place we visited on that day was the village of long neck Karen lady... 

Our tourist guide trying to demonstrate on how to wear the local hat.

Local traditional clothes

This girl is only 12 years old. I guess they are trained to entertain the tourist. They actually wear make up!

Jinjang sungguh kelihatan leher mereka kan? But the fact is, the necks don't actually grow longer by wearing those heavy brass coils (it is heavy people! I've tried it okay!), it's just those brass coils push their collar bones down hence the longer appearance. 

Mr Hubby wondering around in the village.

Sorry, I can't write a more detail posting. Been so busy lately. With wifi having problems at home, mood untuk blogging pun kacau sudah. Will write more on Chiang Mai trip soon, insyaAllah.